<p><strong><em>Students Help Needed </em></strong>* Hi, my daughter will be a freshman at SUNY New Paltz Fall 2012 and is very nervous about living on campus. She is a great student and athlete but is very shy and has trouble opening up to people right away. She won’t be playing sports in college so the whole “Team” thing she grew up with won’t be there for her to fall back on. Great kid once you get to know her but I’m worried she will be alone and miserable. Any advice which dorm at New Paltz might be best for her? She doesn’t drink or smoke (not yet anyway). Planning on majoring in Graphic Design with computers minor.
Thanks - L’s mom</p>
<p>I don’t think you have to worry…New Paltz is known for it’s friendly students of all types. The weekend orientation for freshman is geared perfectly for students to bond with each other. A good idea for your daughter is to go on the facebook page for her incoming class so she can “talk” to other freshman who will be starting with her and possibly find a roommate that would be a good match. They tend to have roommate matching “likes” and “dislikes” in the discussions section as the first semester approaches.
My son graduated from New Paltz this past May, came in as a transfer living off campus knowing no one and made lots of friends. He still goes back to visit and maintains the friendships he made there. I’m sure your daughter will love it. Just be prepared for the possibility for some homesickness which can show up after the initial excitement wears off. It doesn’t happen to everyone but is quite common for many freshman.</p>
<p>Look into the First Year Initiative program. I don’t know too much about it but I think the freshman who choose to be in it have a lot of “bonding” activities, especially at the beginning. They live in Esopus Hall, one of the newer and nicer (and slightly more expensive) dorms. My daughter said Esopus seems to have a more communal atmosphere than her dorm.</p>
<p>My friend’s D met her roommate at freshman orientation and they stayed together for 2 years. My friend’s D is abroad this year but will probably room with the same girl again next year.</p>
<p>We visited NP and I thought the dorms were not that great, but then again, our house is not that great.</p>
<p>Joan, you cracked me up. I could say the same. My kids share their bathrooms with fewer people at New Paltz than they did at home.
OP, does your athletic daughter like hiking? The Outdoors Club does some local hikes.</p>
<p>Chair123 - how did you know in Oct that your daughter was accepted to NP for fall 2012? My d applied EA and is still waiting to hear</p>
<p>Hi chair123–My daughter is a freshman at NP. She is living in Gage Hall–that is one of the busy, popular dorms, where the majority of athletes reside. A good choice for your daughter to consider might also be one of the suite environments. First off, I attended the 2nd orientation session (just after the July 4th weekend) with my daughter. Not only did she LOVE LOVE LOVE it and the new friends she made, I too, had a fantastic few days. They do an unbelievable orientation–honestly, better than some of the private colleges. She’ll definitely make friends there. And LilyMoon’s suggestion on going on the FB page is how my daughter began making her connections. The way it works for room/dorm selections is actually based on your acceptance date. And that choice is done at orientation. My daughter was slated to be in a double. But she chose to room with someone who was slated to be in a triple. By the fifth orientation, yes, a third girl was placed in the room. Need I tell you, they are best friends. Both my daughter and the girl she originally chose to room with are together on a team. As for athletics, even if your daughter was not recruited, and you didn’t mention what sport, she will have the opportunity to “try out” as a walk-on. I will tell you, it is a HUGE commitment, but it was also one of the reasons my daughter chose NP. And she is very happy there. Club and intramural teams are also in motion, and the commitment level is not as intense as being on a team, so that’s an option for your daughter, too. Hope this info helps. Contact me about anything if you’d like.</p>